The Fellows Council is comprised of nine Flinn-Brown Fellows that assist the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership in its planning and programming, promote the statewide Flinn-Brown Network, and help recruit future Flinn-Brown Fellows.
The members of the Fellows Council are:
Christine Thompson (Chair)
Independent Consultant
2017 Flinn-Brown Fellow
LinkedIn
Christine M. Thompson brings nearly three decades of experience as a leader in Arizona’s nonprofit and government sectors to her consulting engagements. Her background includes leadership positions at Expect More Arizona, the State Board of Education, the Arizona Board of Regents, and the State Bar of Arizona.
Christine’s consulting practice encompasses leadership development and coaching, strategic development and planning, public policy development, community engagement and consensus building, charitable giving program advancement, crisis management and communications, and interim executive leadership.
A proud product of Arizona’s public schools, she attended K-12 in Mesa Public Schools and received her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Arizona. Christine lives in Phoenix with her husband and twin boys.
Term expires 12/31/2023
Alesia Ash
Judicial Law Clerk
U.S. District Court, District of Arizona
2015 Flinn-Brown Fellow
LinkedIn
Alesia Ash is an incoming law clerk for the Honorable Rosemary Márquez at the U.S. District Court in Tucson. Before this role, she gained experience as a policymaker and as a staffer for members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Alesia was elected to the Sierra Vista City Council in 2014, becoming the youngest person ever to earn a seat on the council. She served as Mayor Pro Tem from 2016 to 2018.
Alesia earned her Juris Doctor and Master of Public Administration degrees from the University of Arizona. She also holds a Diplomado in Mexican Public Law and Policy from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University.
Term expires 12/31/2024
Nicole Barraza
Director of Governance and Outreach
Southern Arizona Leadership Council
2020 Flinn-Brown Fellow
LinkedIn
Nicole P. Barraza is from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. She received her Bachelor of Arts in political science from Wellesley College, and her Master’s and doctorate from Stanford University in Sociolinguistics and Peninsular Literature. After living in different geographic regions in both the United States and Mexico, Nicole moved to Tucson and taught at Pima Community College. She is currently the Director of Governance and Outreach at the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, a public policy organization that works to improve the economic climate and quality of life in Tucson and the state of Arizona. Nicole is passionate about civic engagement and wants to serve where she can have the most impact.
Term expires 12/31/2023
Josue Macias
CEO & Principal Consultant
New Age Civics
2019 Flinn-Brown Fellow
LinkedIn
Josue Macias is the CEO & Principal Consultant at New Age Civics. Prior to this role, Josue served as Director of Performance and Strategic Initiatives for Maricopa County where he led enterprise efforts in smart government, civic innovation, and organizational performance.
Before joining Maricopa County, Josue held roles in the public and nonprofit sectors lending technical services to advance small business international trade, diversifying nonprofit leadership, supporting civil rights campaigns, and piloting public health initiatives.
Josue holds a Masters in Public Administration and Bachelors of Science in public policy from Arizona State University. He is passionate about advancing transparency, equity, and accessibility in government services. He and his wife call Phoenix home.
Term expires 12/31/2023
Joanne Osborne
Co-Owner
Osborne Jewelers
2012 Flinn-Brown Fellow
LinkedIn
Joanne Osborne is a fourth-generation Arizonan and proud to be a part of the First Families of Arizona. Hard work, commitment to God, and strong family values have helped Joanne live the American Dream. She is a Christian community leader, successful business owner, and public servant.
As a former member of the Arizona House of Representatives, Joanne served as the chairwoman of the House Health and Human Services Committee and sat on the Appropriations Committee. She is a former Goodyear city council member, serving 11 years including two years as vice mayor.
Joanne has been recognized for her leadership and dedication to various causes in the West Valley and was named Legislator of the Year by the Arizona Manufacturing Council in 2020. She also won the Impact Leader of the Year award from Meals of Joy in 2019. Joanne and her husband, Ken, have owned Osborne Jewelers since 1990 and have four children.
Term expires 12/31/2024
Paul Perrault
Senior Vice President of Policy
Helios Education Foundation
2016 Flinn-Brown Fellow
LinkedIn
Paul G. Perrault is the vice president of research & evaluation for Helios Education Foundation. Prior to joining Helios, he was a research faculty member at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.
Perrault received his doctorate in educational foundations and policy at the University of Michigan along with two master’s degrees.
Currently, he serves as a board member for Touchstone Health Services and is co-chair of the Data Impact Group for Grantmakers for Education.
Term expires 12/31/2024
Tamara Prime (Incoming Chair)
Chief Operating Officer
Primavera Foundation
2014 Flinn-Brown Fellow
LinkedIn
Tamara Prime is the chief operating officer for the Primavera Foundation, a Tucson-based NeighborWorks organization that provides pathways out of poverty. She provides strategic leadership, staff guidance and accountable oversight across many lines of business including: emergency services, workforce development, civil rights restoration, financial education and empowerment, home ownership promotion, neighborhood revitalization, and community building and engagement.
Throughout her career in community development, Tamara has consistently advocated for community-driven change and social equity, holding diverse positions across multiple sectors such as: chief of staff for a local elected official; community affairs administrator for the regional’s council of government; project manager for Arizona’s statewide philanthropy serving organization; and director for several nonprofit organizations.
Tamara holds a Master of Arts degree from Prescott College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Arizona. She is also a Public Voices Fellow for the Tucson Op Ed Project.
Term expires 12/31/2023
Bill Regner
Professional Coach
The Regner Group
2018 Flinn-Brown Fellow
LinkedIn
Bill retired from the Clarkdale Town Council in November 2022 after serving 12 and a half years. He continues to work on behalf of the town on transportation and historic preservation issues.
His professional background includes behavioral health service delivery and management; professional staffing recruitment; commercial sales; political and community campaigns; municipal boards and commissions; and business management. He is the recipient of the 2004 Outstanding Community Leadership Award from the Tempe Leadership Program and Tempe Chamber of Commerce and the 2022 Arizona Center for Civic Leadership Flinn-Brown Network Builder award. Bill is committed to good governance practices and the enfranchisement of voters through open primaries, fair districting, and support of non-party affiliated candidates.
Bill is married to Flinn-Brown Fellow Janet Regner (2017). They have two sons and daughters-in-law and four beautiful grandsons. Bill and Janet enjoy their forever home on a cliffside overlooking the beautiful Verde River and Tuzigoot National Monument in the Verde Valley community of Clarkdale in eastern Yavapai County.
Term expires 12/31/2024
Daniel Ruiz II
Vice President, Chief of Staff
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
2015 Flinn-Brown Fellow
LinkedIn
Daniel Ruiz II is the Vice President, Chief of Staff at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. Prior to this role, Daniel served as the Chief of Staff to Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey. Daniel joined the Governor’s Office in 2015, previously serving as the director of media affairs, senior advisor to the governor, and chief operating officer.
Before joining the Governor’s Office, Daniel was employed with the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office as director of communications and public affairs where his duties included voter education, compliance with state and federal laws, media communications, constituent services, and governmental relations. He also served the Citizens Clean Elections Commission in various capacities including campaign finance manager, public information officer, interim executive director, and deputy director.
Daniel received an associate’s degree in public administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in business with a concentration in communications. Ruiz was the 2018 recipient of the Jack B. Jewett Public Service Award from the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership and was named a Breakout by the Arizona Capitol Times for his work taking on complex and challenging public policy issues including drought contingency planning, prison recidivism, and the opioid epidemic.
Term expires 12/31/2023
